Cameron wants 'tough love' for yobs

Tory leader David Cameron has set out a "tough love" approach to young criminals, combining new prisons with extra understanding of their motives.

He accused Tony Blair of giving up on his famous "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" mantra and relying on centrally-imposed solutions.

He also called for extra counselling, education and training in young offenders' institutions in a bid to stop youths returning to crime on release. As a result, he faced taunts from Labour that he was using "fluffy bunny language" and had completely misunderstood the issue.

"We have to show a lot more love," he told the Youth Justice Board's (YJB) annual convention in Cardiff. "By that I don't mean sentimental, childish love which sees no wrong in anyone. I mean tough love - love that values people, and therefore demands high standards from them."

His appeal for a fresh approach came as new research for a leading think-tank suggested Britain's youths were among the worst behaved in Europe. The UK came at or near the top of a series of indicators of bad behaviour, including drugs, drink, violence and promiscuity.

Meanwhile, another report showed that nearly half of under-18s have breached anti-social behaviour orders, and that many consider them a "badge of honour".

Mr Cameron emphasised society's role in encouraging good behaviour rather than the state's duty to punish bad behaviour. He attacked Prime Minister Tony Blair for mocking his call for more understanding of hoodie-wearing youths, saying: "With that cheap joke he gave up on one of the best things he ever said: tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime."

For all Labour's efforts, the country was suffering an "epidemic of low-level disorder and disrespect", he said. "What we really need is what I said in that speech about hoodies: not a more powerful state but a more powerful society."

Young offenders' institutions were "social dustbins" that needed more places to ease overcrowding and should be opened up to the private sector to run and to voluntary organisations. There also needed to be "more rigorous and challenging community punishments", he said.

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said Mr Cameron was "utterly wrong", telling the BBC: "When you look in substance behind the fluffy bunny language there's not much there."